"I dream of a hard and brutal mysticism in which the naked self merges with the nonhuman world and somehow survives...Paradox and bedrock."-Edward Abbey

27 November 2011

Fragile Monsters

Yes, I can admit to a bit of possible sadism; seeing Sabina's reaction, all but screaming at the sight of small spider is something I find really fucking funny. I march over and take the arachnid, turning it loose, where it can scuttle off. This isn't done to save Sabina from her irrational fear of something hundreds of times smaller than her as much as the spider, which many Homo sapiens would outright murder because of some addle-brained primal fear and zoological racism. The ultimate hate crime.

So, I watch the itsy-bitsy spider clamber away, fascinated by its movements. Something I remember from when I had tarantulas as pets. Any biped would've been more than a match for it. Size not withstanding, spiders have no coagulants in their blood; with a simple nick, they can bleed to death. Few know this. They are actually quite fragile monsters. I cannot fathom why any monkey would be scared of one.

There was something I heard once, which I think is a grand backfist of perspective; you think a spider is scary when you look at it with two eyes? Imagine what it sees when it looks at you with eight...

8 comments:

  1. I must, with a nod to arachnophobes everywhere, sever my friendship with you. Nothing personal. It is simply the law. Sabina is more than welcome to join me in my spider free fantasy-world.

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  2. I don't know what saddens me more; the threat of severance, or the theoretical existence of the above mentioned fantasy world.

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  3. Mr Starlight is afraid of spiders and usually I save him from her irrational fear.

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  4. My daughter is the only other person I can think of personally who isn't squicked out by spiders.

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  5. Not afraid of spiders--compared to snakes, a spider is cute and lovable. Though...once when I was living in Hawaii, I had a cane spider in my house that was as large as my palm, and man, could that damn thing scuttle...eewwww. Still have a nightmare or two about that monster.

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  6. My father and brother are afraid of snakes, which is a shame, since some species are especially pretty. I am frightened, but fascinated, by sharks. That cane spider sounds like it was close to the size of a bird-eating spider; those things have a ten inch leg-span, which is just impressive.

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  7. Not afraid of spiders, but moths? Oooh. I don't trust moths. Can't fly a straight line, and who knows where they'll end up?

    :-)

    Pearl

    p.s. Sorry for the double-comment. Can't stand typos...

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  8. It's okay on the double comment :).

    My daughter's terrified of moths. I have to make sure the porch light never comes on during summer when she visits because of it.

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